WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba Bisons controlled play from start to finish, sweeping the Winnipeg Wesmen 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-16) to take a 2-1 lead in the 34th Duckworth Challenge on Friday night at the Duckworth Centre. The Herd hit .309 as a team, leading the entire way (minus 1-0 in set three) in a well-balanced showing. 

Brenna Bedosky hit .636 with seven kills including the match-winner, while Raya Surinx had 13 kills and hit .310 and and Eve Catojo hit .467 with eight kills. Defensively, six different Bisons had at least three digs, led by Andi Almonte's 14, as Manitoba was able to execute their offence in system for most of the night. 

Their best set was the second, where they hit .700 as a team with just one error. Fifteen of their 25 points in the set came off kills. 

With the win, Manitoba improved to 13-4, firmly in a top four position in Canada West. They've gone 7-0 in 2026, clicking on all cylinders. 

"When everything falls away, it's just another game for our league. That's how I went at it," said libero Chelsea Siebenga, who had four digs on Friday and 168 on the year after making the switch from a hitting position in the off-season.

"We've been taking it one game at a time. In the past we have looked at the end, instead of looking at the games right in front of us. Just taking a step back and taking it a game at a time has really helped us."

Winnipeg showed resilience, fighting back from seven down in the first set to cut Manitoba's lead to two at 23-22 and 24-23, but that's as close as they got in the match. Almonte gave Manitoba back a two-point lead and an error ended the opening set shortly after. 

Set two was all Manitoba. Almonte opened things with an ace, and setter Julia Martens dished out an assist to every single starter on the floor, while getting in on the action with a kill as well. 

Brooke Duncalfe began the third with a kill for Winnipeg, but it was the only time the Wesmen would have the lead. A Bedosky kill followed by three straight Wesmen errors gave the visitors a three-point cushion and they didn't trail from there with Bedosky ending the game on an in system finish from Martens.

Both teams play again on Saturday at 6:45 pm at IGAC to wrap up Manitoba's hosting portion Duckworth Challenge, presented by Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.